Rail clamp



Sept. 24, 1929. v LYNCH .1',-729,077

RAIL CLAMP f Filed Feb. 26, 1926 Patented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES EDWARD LYNCH, OF DULUTH, lltHNN'ESO'lAv RAIL CLAMP Application filed February 26, 1 926. Serial No. 90,839.

This invention relates to rail clamps for a point upon the tram car directly above tunneling machines and has particular refer ence to a clamp for application to an underground loader which carries its load back over the machine and deposits it in a car at the rear thereof.

The principal object of the invention is to provide such a clamp which may be released from the rail with a minimum of effort and in the least time possible. In the digging of tunnels, for instance where penalties are imposed if the work is not completed by a certain date, the savingof even a fraction of a ininutes time in setting the rail clamp on the shovel, in the aggregate, means a great deal when considering the output of the shovel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the further description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower portion, or tram car, of a mechanical shovel, showing my improved rail clamp applied thereto and gripping the rail;

Figure 2 is an end elevation, slightly enlarged, of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one half of the clamp, showing the suspending eye and holding bolt in section; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged end elevation of the shackle or clevis, showing its suspending eye, and the holding bolt in section.

1 represents the rails, 2 the tram car of the shovel, and 3 the wheels thereof.

The clamp comprises two identical halves, the lower, rail gripping, ends of which are materially enlarged, and their inner abutting faces are cut-away, as indicated at 4 in Figure 3, to receive the bulb of the rail when clamped thereabouts. The halves of the clamp are substantially rectangular in form except that two corners thereof are cutaway, one in arcuate form as at 5 for engagement with the wheels of the car and the other straight as at 6. The clamp is suspended by means of the eye-bolt 7, fixed to the rail, the nut on said bolt holding same securely to, the car; there being provided one clam for. each rail as is obvious. The eye-bolt extends through a hole provided therefor in the upper corner of the clamp, and this point of suspension, when the device is applied to the rail, is forward of the center of gravity, the purpose of which will appear later. The holes for the holding bolt 9 are drilled through theenlarged lowerportions of the clam V and just above the cut away portions 4. 11 either side of the bolt 9. and substantially through the clamp are the. teeth 10, which in this instance are illustrated as being square in section, with one corner thereof projecting within the cut-away space 4. These obviously may be of any shape desired with one point thereof projecting within the space tsothat when I the device is applied to the rail, these projecting teeth will engage the top of the rail and prevent the clamp from slipping longitudina lly thereof. It will thus be seen that when the clamp issuspended from the rear of a car as illustrated in Figure 1 and the shovel mounted thereon is' in the act of digging, when it first raises its load the tendency of the rear endof the shovel will be to raise and leave the rails, but ofcourse will be prevented from doing so by the rail clamp. It will. 'be noted however that the Y contact of the clamp with the rail is to the rear of the point of suspension, consequently when an upward jerk is caused upon the clamp it will tend to rock on the rail resulting in one of the teeth 10 gripping in the upper surface of the rail and making the clamp fast thereto.

When the shovel is to be moved, ordinarilythe attendant would have to materially loosen the nut 11 holding the bolt 9 so as to free the halves or jaws of. the clamp from engagement with the rail. This obviously would require considerable time, to obviate which I have provided the shackle or clevis 12 which is designed to slip down over the outwardly extending end of the bolt between the nut 11 and the outer jaw of the clamp. There is an eye 13 fixed to the upper end of the shackle to which one end of the chain 14 is attached, the other end of the chain being made secure in any desired manner to the outer face of the outer jaw of the clamp, this being to prevent loss of the shackle. Thus the jaws are placed about the bulb of the rail, the shackle slipped down in its position, and the nut 11 screwed up to a point where the shackle can be easily withdrawn when desired and the nut made secure at that point by means of a cotter pin 15 extending through the'bolt and nut. Thus with my device when it is desired to free the jaws from the rail, all that is necessary is to raise the shackle which will immediately free the jaws and allow the same to be moved longitudinally of the rail; and when again applied the jaws are just adjusted about the bulb of the rail, the shackle inserted whichholds the jaws about the rail sufficiently tight for. all practical purposes.

It will be noted that the chain 14 not only insures that the clevis 12 will not be lost, but is of just suflicient length to prevent the clevis revolving upon the bolt 9 and falling therefrom; in other words the chain holds the clevis at all times straddling the bolt 9.

From the above it will be noted that I have provided a simple, eflicient and practical rail clamp for the purpose intended which may be adjusted inthe least time possible and with a minimum of effort. Obviously, slight modifications in structure may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the following claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: r

A rail clamp of the type described comprising two halves each having two adjacent corners cut away one in arcuate form for engagement with a car Wheel and the other for clamping engagement with the bulb of the rail, means adjacent the upper cutaway corner, for pivotally suspending the clamp from a car body, and means adjacent the rail engaging end of the clamp for holding attachment to the rail. I y

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

EDWARD LYNCH. 

